The NBA Says Screw America, Sells Out To Middle East

The NBA has announced what some view as a questionable partnership with Emirates Airlines that would change the name of the league's in-season tournament and also add sponsored jersey patches on referee's uniforms.

In a statement released today, the NBA boasted that it would be renaming its newly announced in-season tournament the "Emirates NBA Cup," with all NBA, WNBA and G League referees donning the Emirates patch on their outfits. 

"Emirates NBA Cup," rings right off the tip of your tongue, no? 

If the NBA thought that people didn't care about its pointless in-season tournament before, naming it something that sounds like some sort of soccer event sure as hell isn't going to solve the problem.

But this goes beyond just a poor name choice. 

There are deep concerns that, because Emirates Airlines is state-owned by the United Arab Emirates, we are seeing yet another example of foreign investors and countries that don't have our best interests at hand, having tremendous influence that could one day lead to disastrous repercussions in the socio-political world. 

The NBA's partnership with Emirates Airlines comes across as a legitimate business deal, and from a legal and public perception stance, it definitely is. But if one doesn't believe that the UAE and its unlimited checkbook (thanks to that lovely three letter word "O-I-L") won't lead to the UAE having more of a say at the proverbial sports table, then you are lying to yourself. 

As the old saying goes, "I was born at night, but I wasn't born last night." It's as clear as the Arabian desert sun what is going on here and there's even a word for it thanks to what the Saudis have already started doing. 

"Sportswashing" is when countries that have done some questionable